Modelling the Terroir of the Douro Demarcated Region, Portugal

Abstract

The Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) is one of the main winemaking regions in Portugal. Viticulture is tied to the Douro region, having a strong impact on the local economy. This mountainous region, characterized by the slopes of the Douro Valley, provides a vast range of environmental characteristics for winegrapes. Different climatic conditions, soil characteristics, topography, varieties and practices comprise the Douro terroirs, resulting in the uniqueness of the wines produced. In the current study, an assessment of the homogeneous viticultural zones is proposed for the Douro, by integrating different terroir elements (thermal, hydric, soils, topography and vegetation), using state-of-the-art very-high resolution datasets (1-km) and a large number of variables. A multivariate zoning was carried out using a principal component analysis (PCA) and a subsequent clustering. A geospatial assessment of the terroir elements was also performed separately for each sub-region in the DDR. The connections of the different terroirs prevailing at a given location were also innovatively assessed. This zoning may promote a more appropriate selection of vineyard sites, the selection of more locally-adapted varieties and rootstocks and the adoption of appropriate viticultural practices. The present study may be a standard methodology that can be applied to other winemaking regions worldwide.